by irene c. on I speak perfect English and not only will I not order in English here, I won't order at all. Pat's across the street delivers steak sandwiches fine without accompany xenophobia. Very few Americans have ancestors who could have ordered at Geno's without discrimination along "wit" it.
by scott k. on Our waiter gave me a whispered inside scoop, ".... the staff all favor the steak tartare burger over everything else on the menu." He said. And i was feeling adventurous... so I bit... Into raw hamburger!!!!!!!!!!!! *sigh* I knew what I was getting into... I've had it before... but did that stop me! No sir! That seemingly secret recommendation and the inspired menu had me convinced that this beautiful burger boutique would blow my hesitation out of the water... wow was I wrong. It's just that texture. The flavor itself isn't actually bad, it's just that tricky texture you have to wrap your mind around! (The raw egg on top probably didn't help either.) Now... that singular experience aside... the food and drinks were really gorgeous. If a burger can be sexy... these are some sexy burgers! And I'm not going to say anything here that someone hasn't already said more eloquently... but the drinks and shakes are "Put your hands in the air and wave them like you just don't care!" GREAT! And for those of you that are worried about the crowds... may I suggest 4pm on a Monday. Just us and a waiter with weird taste buds... easy. I'll be back just to try more of the drinks! I mean... a Root Beer Martini? That's the drug I'm talking about! Perhaps something cooked next time as well... yes... a fantastic plan.
by Debroah Levenson on The "it" downtown lounge of the moment. Harlot joins Slide, Ambassador, Otis, Roe, Frisson, Matrix, Vessel, bla bla bla, as the ascending generation's answer to Starlight Room, Top of the Mark, Harry Africa's. If Wilkes Bashford, Harry Denton, Willie Brown, and Herb Cain were thirty years younger they would have a favorite booth here. If you don't know what any of that means, welcome to San Francisco. The historic brick building sits on an alley amidst skyscrapers. In front is trendy new restaurant Salt House and directly above is one of San Francisco's better online porn companies. The latest venture from San Francisco party promoter / restaurateurs Martel & Nabiel & company, who teamed up with designer / architect / furniture designer (among other things) Jacek Ostoya. Here more than ever before the team demonstrates their chops for service, scene, music, door, vibe. The crowd is sophisticated, moneyed, dressed and a little older, say 27-45. Bartenders with more personality than attitude quickly make $9 top shelf drinks, a considerable accomplishment given the women are squeezing varying body shapes into matching lace up bustieres. A food and fresh fruit drink menu, they promise, is coming. With deer antlers, mirrors, one way glass (by a fortuitous and hopefully irreversible miscalculation looking into not out of the women's bathroom), a cheeky talkative men's lounge attendant in a well fitted suit, artistic naked women artwork, the place pays tribute to bordellos and speakeasies through the ages and continents without overtly copying them. It's sophisticated but not subdued. With all the private launch parties it's hard to know how it will all settle out. It almost didn't. A divided Board of Supervisors approved the liquor license on a 6-5 vote. But given the opening and the people involved, this may well be be the one that lasts as an institution. Some day in 2057 or so when our grandkids are all getting sloshed over martinis they'll shake an olive to Martel and Nabiel and Jacek and Robert (the other partner) and say about a new "it" club named "Skank Slut," if they were kids today this is where they would hang.
